Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is expected to miss a team game as he is forced to take time off for family reasons.
• Also read: NHL: seven players who could change their address
• Also read: Connor Bedard and the Canadiens: Team up, Odds down
General manager Brian MacLellan made the announcement Tuesday, saying the 37-year-old Russian needed to be with his family to take care of a loved one. Head coach Peter Laviolette said in a press conference that he does not expect to see the left winger again until the end of the week.
“Listen, it’s hard sometimes. Life is hard. When it comes to your family and your parents, this is important. He’s going to have to deal with that for a while and we’re going to support him,” Laviolette said, according to NHL.com.
Washington Capitals senior vice president and general manager Brian MacLellan announced today that Captain Alex Ovechkin will be staying away from the team to attend to a family matter and the health of a loved one.
—CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 14, 2023
In the evening, the Capitals met the Carolina Hurricanes in Washington. Ovechkin decided to visit his teammates before leaving, and Laviolette didn’t want to tell reporters if he should fly to Russia.
“He came over and talked to the guys. It was nice to see him, hug him and tell him personally that we are there for him instead of writing. We will think of him, we will miss him and we wish him well,” said forward TJ Oshie.
Decisive Games
The health of loved ones is more important than hockey, but it must be recognized that Ovechkin’s absence comes at a very bad time. The Capitals have one of the last two playoff tickets in the Eastern Conference.
They will face the Hurricanes twice through the end of the week, in addition to the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Ovechkin had only missed one game this season. He scored 54 points in as many games in 2022-23.
“It’s different when you lose a player through injury and not through family reasons, especially for the big guy [Ovechkin], which has brought so much success not only to the organization but also to the people in the dressing room and I am one of them. In those moments you play a little more intensely,” explained Oshie.
The American capital team has recalled forward Joe Snively from the Hershey Bears from the American League. He has an assist in six National Hockey League games this season.